Fastening foe ax-handles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. EMERSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FASTENING FOR AX-HANDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,784, dated April 10, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. EMERSON, of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Attaching Tools to Handles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a partm of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a side view of an aXe att-ached to its handle according to my invention. Fig. 2, a back view of the same. Fig. 3, a section of the same taken in the line x, Fig. l. Fig. 4, a section of the same taken in the line y, y, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement, on a mode of securing tools to handles for which Letters Patent, were granted to me bearing date March 29th 1859. In this patented case a stirrup was employed, the same being iitted on the tool and projecting down at each side and below the tool to form a socket to receive the handle. The ditliculty attending this mode of attachment is that the stirrup projects out from the sides of the tool and when applied to a cutting or riving tool serves as a'n impediment: to the same and prevents its free passage through the clefts of the wood or stuff acted upon it.

The within described invention consists in having projections formed direct on the tool, that is to say, forged with the tool, or made separately and welded thereto and in such a manner as to leave smooth sides to the tool and form a socket to receive the end of the handle which is provided with a metal strap or head that is fitted in the socket, the handle being secured in the socket by a key and wedge.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents an axe which may be constructed in any of the known forms and having a projection or lip a, formed ateach side of it, and projecting down about at right angles to form a socket to receive the end of the handle B, the projections or lips being formed during the forging of the tool, or they may be made separately and welded l to the tool so as to be flush with itssides and have a smooth surface.

The projections or lips a, a, have holes Z, made in them to allow a key c, and wedge el, to be tted therein, and the handle B, is provided at its end with a metal head or strap e, which is rmly secured to the handle by a bolt f. The head or strap e, extends over the ends of the handle and down the sides of t-he handle a requisite distance as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

The handle B, also has a hole g, made through it to allow the key and wedge to pass through, said hole being directly below the upper part of the head or strap. The end or outer surface of the head or strap e, bears directly against the inner side or surface of the axe the two parts fitting snugly together.

From the above description it will be seen that all the advantages possessed by my previously patented mode of attachment, are retained by the within described mode and at the same time the objection, attended the former mode of attachment, to wit: the proj ecting of the socket from the sides of the tool is avoided. In the construction of picks, hammers, and similar tools, the stirrup attachment as shown in the previous patent referred to answers equally as well as the mode herein described, but the stirrup cannot be used in cutting tools as experience has fully proved the projection formed by the stirrup preventing the free passage of the tool through the cleft and thereby rendering this class of tools very inefficient.

I do not claim the strap or head e, on the handle B, with the key and wedge c, d, to secure the handle in a socket connected to the tool, irrespective of the manner of forming said socket; but,

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The employment of the lips a, a, in combination with the aXe A, head e, key c, and wedge d, when the said lips constitute a part of the axe and are made flush therewith, all as herein shown and described.

JAMES E. EMERSON.

Witnesses:

WM. THOMPSON, M, M. LIVINGSTON. 

